Which Roanoke lawyers handle car accident cases?

Which firms are our picks for you?

These firms handle car accident cases in the Roanoke area. Each card gives the firm's office address and phone.

What criteria should guide the choice?

Use the same checklist for every firm:

1. License. Confirm the lawyer is licensed and in good standing through the Virginia State Bar.
2. Case type. Ask whether the firm handles your kind of case: car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle, uninsured motorist or wrongful death.
3. Fee terms. Ask for the fee agreement in writing, including how costs are handled.
4. Who does the work. Ask who will handle your file and how you will receive updates.
5. Deadlines. Ask the firm to confirm your filing deadline and any notice deadline in writing. See the claim deadline checker.
6. Location and access. Check the office address and how to reach the firm.
7. No promises about results. Be cautious of any firm that predicts an outcome. No lawyer can know it in advance.

Which other Roanoke-area firms are listed, alphabetically?

The following firms are listed in alphabetical order with the same fields for each: address, phone and practice areas. Listing is not a ranking or an endorsement.

How are fees structured?

Many injury lawyers work on a contingency fee. A contingency fee is a fee paid from a recovery rather than billed by the hour. The fee agreement should say what percentage applies, what costs you owe and what happens if there is no recovery.

Fishwick & Associates PLC describes its personal injury fees as contingency, with no attorney fee unless the firm recovers compensation on your behalf. Each other firm states its own terms. Ask each one for its terms in writing and compare them against the same questions.

How do you verify a lawyer's license?

Use the Virginia State Bar's lawyer directory before you sign anything.

1. Search the lawyer's name exactly as it appears on the firm's materials.
2. Confirm that the license is active and read any status notes shown.
3. Check that the firm name and office address match what you were given.
4. Keep a record of the date you checked.

A firm's own website is not a substitute for the bar record.

What questions should you ask before you hire?

Ask each firm the same questions so that answers can be compared:

• Who will handle my case day to day, and how will you update me?
• What are your fee terms, and what costs would I owe if there is no recovery?
• What deadlines apply to my claim, and when do you need records from me?
• Will you contact the insurers for me?

What should be brought to a first consultation?

1. The crash report or the report number.
2. Photographs of the scene, the vehicles and your injuries.
3. Names and contact details of witnesses.
4. Medical records and bills so far, and the names of your providers.
5. Your insurance policy declarations and any claim numbers.
6. Letters, emails or call notes from any insurer.
7. Proof of lost income.
8. Any notice you have sent or received about a claim against a locality or the Commonwealth. See deadlines.

Read the claim timeline and the contributory negligence page first. They explain the questions a lawyer will ask.